I sanded my stock down for my .62 cal Pedersoli Smooth bore and was wanting to refinish it more PC. I was told to just use linseed oil, which I did, it is a very LIGHT color. How do you get it to be a darker color? And is linseed oil the PC?
Thanks

I redid my stock with BLO too. I very much think that a hand rubbed oil finish is the appropriate finish for a firearm.

Usually, you stain the wood before applying the oil, but the oil will darken over time (years, not weeks), of course this is usually due to the accumulation of grime!

It's important to apply a very thin coat - seriously thin, a wiping, no more. I redid one of those big Cookson fowling pieces and used about a tsp per application (if you put it on thick you can easily end up with a gummy mess that never fully cures right). Rub the oil into the wood, building up some heat in the process.

The old school method is to do this once an hour for a day, then once a day for a week, then one a week for a month, once a month for a year, and once a year for life. A burger joint paper napkin is perfect for applying these coats, but a bit of paper towel works too.

Remember that BLO does not dry but cures by oxidation and gives off heat. Submerge under water any rags/towels/etc. used to apply BLO. UV light is also said to help cure BLO, so be sure your stock gets some time under natural light.

Opie: Now that you have already applied the linseed oil, I would suggest trying to use a stain that will penetrate through the linseed oil. I would try a dark leather dye, alcohol based, which you can get at Tandy Leather. Experiment first in an inconspicuous spot on the gunstock. Then when the desired color is reached, rub on thin coats of more linseed oil, building up a heat with your bare hands. Linseed oil finishes take a long time to cure, but you will love the final look. It is also a very easy finish to make repairs through. Rub on thin coats, wipe off any excess, rub with bare hands until warm for once a day for a week, once a week for a month, once a month for a year and once a year for life... is correct! But you will love it when finished!

By itself no - the most widely used 18th/early 19th century period finish was a true boiled linseed oil based varnish with added rosin and often with lead as a dryer- it's basically the same as period violin varnishes. Many folks make their own, but you can get a close facsimile by using Tried and True Oil Varnish or the Oil Varnish offered by Jim Chambers - both use real, true boiled (i.e. heat polymerized linseed oil) and not the modern version which is a poor grade of linseed (aka flax seed) oil and chemical dryers. The difference between real boiled linseed oil and the commercail stuff is like night and day - once you use the real thing the commercial stuff is like YUUUCK!
FWIW - my comments are based on period documentation.......no gunmaker of the period could have afforded to take that long to apply a finish. The first cited reference I'm aware of to a "greased" finish (aka oil finish) rather than varnished is in 1850.
Gunmaker par excellence Eric Kettenburg for one has studied the subject in depth and has written on it.........I have a copy of his older Muzzle Blast article - it used to be on line - if not let me know and I will post it with thanks to MB.
The other documented 18th and early 19th century finish is spirit varnishes - often colored.